A FLY-TIPPER who agreed to take £2,000 to dispose of cannabis has been banned from driving by a judge.

Aaron Humphreys, 31, recruited Andrew Perry, 31, and Macaulay Grimes, 22, to get rid of cannabis plants from a 'cannabis farm' at two flats at White Lion Court, Stourport.

All three admitted being concerned in the production of cannabis when they appeared before judge Nicolas Cartwright QC to be sentenced on Wednesday.

Howard Searle, prosecuting, said the men were seen taking cannabis plants from one of two flats on January 18.

A witness saw the tops of the plants poking out of boxes they were carrying and police were called.

The men were stopped an hour later near Bewdley but had already disposed of the plants, possibly in the river Severn.

Officers could smell cannabis in the back of the van and the three were arrested.

Police discovered a cannabis grow at another flat at White Lion Court, the other flat having been emptied. They found 21 plants two to four weeks away from harvest with a potential yield of £22,000.

It is not known how many cannabis plants were disposed of from the other cannabis grow as they were never found.

Mr Searle said it was a 'home set-up' but 'sophisticated' with and sheeting and lighting.

Perry and Grimes gave no comment interviews. Humphreys denied involvement until police told him they had recovered part of his palm print on the plastic sheeting using in the grow.

He admitted he had been offered £2,000 to clear a flat but claimed he did not know it was cannabis until he arrived.

He had asked Perry and Grimes to help him. The vehicle they used to dispose of the cannabis and the flats where the cannabis was grown belonged to Mr Jackson.

It was also Mr Jackson who offered to pay the £2,000 to Humphreys but he faces no criminal charges because of lack of evidence, the court was told.

Michael Aspinall, for Humphreys and Grimes, said Humphreys never received the £2,000.

He said of Humphreys: “He’s extremely embarrassed to be in front of the court."

Mr Aspinall said his client was at low risk of re-offending and argued against a driving ban, saying he did 90 per cent of the driving, including for his partner who suffered from anxiety and panic attacks.

He suggested it would be unjust to disqualify him because it would cause 'undue hardship' to others.

He said Grimes’s mother had died in September and he had become a carer for his younger brother.

Grimes had received a call on the understanding he was disposing of rubbish rather than cannabis.

Kevin Grego, for Perry, said his client had been asked to move some belongings and it was only when he arrived he discovered it was cannabis. However, he conceded Perry ‘was probably expecting some monetary reward’ but did not know he would be shifting ‘criminal items’.

Judge Nicolas Cartwright QC said Humphreys was ‘the prime mover’ and had ‘recruited the others’.

He described fly-tipping as 'extremely anti-social', causing significant cost to local authorities.

He added: "People should be deterred from doing that."

The judge ordered a deprivation order in relation to the vehicle used in disposal which belonged to Mr Jackson.

Humphreys of Poplar Road, Kidderminster was sentenced to six months in prison of which he can expect to serve half.

He will begin a six month driving ban upon his release from prison.

Grimes of Usmere Road, Kidderminster, was served with a community order and must complete 160 hours of unpaid work.

Perry of Dunlin Drive, Kidderminster was sentenced to six weeks in prison.